Happy Luau

Thursday, July 10, 2008

BE BRAVE: Day 5: Practice of Letting Go

Today I had some recoup time, and my body is crying, "More, more", as is my spirit. So I'm going to keep it up.

Part of the reason I need more "quiet time" is that today I had a couple of unexpected events that brought some unexpected stress my way.

One is that a family member had a health crisis. It affects me a lot, and I went through a bit of a panic. I ended up taking the time to have a special quiet time, wrote in my journal and prayed about what to do. Ethically it was challenging because I wanted to call in medical professionals but my loved one wanted to handle it themselves. I decided to exercise the profound spiritual practice of letting go. For me this is challenging. It's still not over, but I'm working on not stressing on it. I'm letting go again, and again, and again. I so want to make things right, and I need to see that I am indeed making things right by letting go...until it's time to act...and I will know when that is.

Another is that I found out today that LoveHubbie had borrowed a large amount of money a short while back without telling me. He did actually tell me today, which was good. But our financial picture is pretty different than I thought it was. And obviously, this brings up some other issues for me and LoveHubbie that I will deal with. Married life. It was a good day to be hit by things I suppose, as good as such things ever get, because I did have the space and environment to deal with them.



Today everything brought the question up for me, "What is 'being brave'?" I had to decide this again and again. Is being brave stepping in or letting go? Is it trusting again, or refusing to trust? Is it being vulnerable yet again or taking care of oneself and acting to be safe? Is it forgiving or moving on? These are questions we all have to answer every day, questions that require us to define bravery and apply it in our lives.

~Photos by LoveHubbie Mark

12 comments:

Rick Hamrick said...

This is a brilliant post, Olivia.

Bravery, as I define it, is doing what you know in your soul of souls is the right thing to do. Just that simple.

The application of the concept, though, is far more difficult.I get what you are saying, as you describe some of the possible "this? or that?" pairs which are often our choices in the moment.

One of the most interesting aspects of life is to take absolutes which you have chosen as your guiding lights, and decide how they work for you in the nitty-gritty, real world.

I wish you a good night's sleep, Olivia. All will be more clear in the morning.

Olivia said...

Thank you so much, Rick. I take great, great comfort in your support. xxoo, O

thailandchani said...

I've always believed it's braver to let things go than to hang on to them. When we hang on, it's almost as though we are trying to control. When we try to control, that automatically leads to unhappiness because we can't control most things. Letting go is the kindest, the bravest and the most sensible thing - in my opinion. :)

Olivia said...

I think you're right, Chani. It has taken me years to get to the point of realizing it.

And we can't control most things.

Thank you for your reflections here. I am just now learning to be brave!

Love,

O

thailandchani said...

It's interesting how we perceive ourselves so differently than others perceive us. During the time I have been reading your site, I actually consider you to be a very brave person.

You have taken ownership of your own existence.. and that's the bravest action anyone can take.

Olivia said...

Thank you, Chani. That is nice to hear, especially today. Love, O

Anonymous said...

I struggle with the same question.

Olivia said...

Kelly, I do think that this is yet another great part of BE BRAVE---learning more about bravery so that we can apply it in our lives post-challenge! Onward, O

couragetocreatewriteandlove said...

ayayyyy!!!
what is to be brave?
God! that was something to answer!
I was so chicken scared last week... i think knowing that I was loved, surrounded by prayers, hope and bloggy friends and someone next to me gave me or make me brave.

Jessie said...

oh, girl...i like that question. it is most definitely a profound one.

Olivia said...

Carmen,

I'm so glad you liked the question, too. We have to ask ourselves this! I'm glad you got a chance to be very brave and had so much loving support.

Blessings and courage, O

Olivia said...

Jessie,

Yes, it is. Sometimes bravery is staying, sometimes leaving. Sometimes speaking up, sometimes silence. This time through is very different from the past. I'm glad you're on board now.

Peace and abundance,

O